Hunted by Characters I Drew!!

"How is this possible? How could such a powerful creature appear on this floor?" Riveria frowned in disbelief. "This is only the 18th floor! Why would a monster of this caliber be here?" 

The creature before them was Black Goliath, a floor boss-level monster with the combat strength of a Level 5 adventurer. Although it was considered the weakest among Level 5 creatures, it should only appear on the 20th floor. How could it have escaped to the 18th? 

"Tch, it must be Ottar's doing! Who else could pull off something this ridiculous?" 

Bete clenched his fists in frustration. Having watched the same anime as Ais, his mind naturally jumped to Ottar as the culprit. 

--- 

Meanwhile, in a grand palace at the heart of Orario, a burly man sneezed loudly. 

"Achoo!" 

"Huh? What's wrong, Ottar? Even a Level 7 like you can catch a cold?" Freya teased, looking amused. 

Ottar, standing beside her like a steel tower, shook his head. "It's nothing, Freya-sama," he replied, glancing toward the dungeon in the distance. 

His gaze lingered as he thought about the Loki Familia's recent expedition. "Freya-sama, are you sure you don't want me to create some trouble for that man? It would be easy enough." 

Freya smirked knowingly. She understood Ottar's loyalty and eagerness to act, but she waved off his suggestion. 

"There's no need," she said, sipping red wine gracefully. "Alexander is incredibly strong. Any obstacles you place in his path would be useless. Let's just wait for his return in peace." 

Her eyes sparkled with intrigue as she looked toward the dungeon. "Alexander... you will come back alive." 

---

Back in the dungeon, the adventurers had no idea that Ottar wasn't behind Goliath's sudden appearance. But thanks to Alexander's anime knowledge, everyone instinctively blamed Ottar for the chaos. 

Poor Ottar, Alexander mused, sighing as he looked at Black Goliath. Even a Level 7 powerhouse is being scapegoated. 

Black Goliath, with its massive frame and formidable strength, might have been terrifying for Bell and his companions in the original anime. But against the current party? It was no threat. 

Even without Alexander's help, the two Level 6s and three Level 5s in their group could easily handle the monster. 

Who gave this thing the courage to show up here? Alexander thought wryly. Still, Ottar takes himself too seriously. This isn't even a Minotaur prank; it's just bad luck. 

The real reason for Black Goliath's appearance, though, was something Alexander had overlooked. 

Ever since he obtained Artemis's divine power, he had essentially ascended to the level of a god. Entering the dungeon in his current state caused disturbances in its balance, drawing stronger monsters to appear unexpectedly. 

So, Ottar wasn't behind this at all. The blame truly lay with Alexander himself. 

--- 

"Control of Ice: Frozen Cloud." 

Alexander raised his hand, and a swirling blizzard descended upon Black Goliath. 

The monster had just noticed the party and was gearing up to attack when it was enveloped by an icy storm. In moments, Goliath froze solid, its massive frame transforming into a towering ice sculpture. 

Cracks began to spiderweb across its surface before the monster shattered completely, scattering into glittering shards of ice. 

"Alright, let's keep moving," Alexander said nonchalantly, brushing off the encounter. He didn't want to waste time on weaklings like this. 

The party stared in stunned silence. 

Even Bete, usually brash and arrogant, swallowed hard. He knew he could take down Goliath, but seeing it obliterated in a single attack left him speechless. 

That's Black Goliath! Bete thought, awestruck. Sure, I could beat it, but... to annihilate it with one move? That's a different level altogether. 

A strange unease crept into his mind. If Alexander could dispatch Black Goliath so effortlessly, what would happen if they ever clashed? Would Alexander defeat him just as easily? 

"Let's pick up the pace!" Alexander called, snapping everyone out of their thoughts. "We can't let Finn and his group get ahead of us, or I'll lose face." 

The party instinctively nodded and followed his lead. At some point, Alexander had become their de facto leader without anyone noticing. 

Perhaps this shift was inevitable—an unspoken acknowledgment of the overwhelming power he wielded.